"Organs are essential for a human being. The body is not living any more as soon as a human life is over. This is why I have an organ donor card. Everybody should contemplate the question “what happens with my organs after death?” Your decision can save lives. Everybody should deal with this question on a volunteer basis. To be “forced” to think about death by your government leads to rejection rather than to support."Theresa, 21, student from Germany

“I am aware of the fact that organ transplantation can crucially help ill people. Nevertheless, I ask critically: Isn’t it true that people who don’t volunteer for organ donation are more and more put under pressure? Do I really have the ethical obligation to donate my organs? Don’t I rather have the right to stay physically ‘intact’, as far as possible, in life and in the process of dying? Are we not running the risk of increasingly considering our human body a ‘spare parts storage space’ which can be exploited? Illness is a part of life. And this can sometimes be very sad. Unfortunately. But we can help and comfort each other in many different ways.
With regards to organ donation, everybody should be free to decide without moral pressure. Therefore, I’m in favour of the opt-in solution.”Manfred, 49, pastor from Germany

“I have an organ donor card, not least because somebody I know has been waiting for a new kidney for a long time and I see how she suffers from it. Primarily because of that I really became aware of the problem and dealt with the subject. If you don’t have personal experience in this field, you won’t easily take notice of the problem.
This is why I think that there should be far more education and awareness raising on the issue of organ donation. However, I don’t consider it appropriate to force people to make a decision, no matter when.”Cordelia, 18, student from Germany